LUDHIANA: Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal today appealed to the youth to select a leader with a proven track record who could take them as well as the State forward.
Addressing a youth conclave titled “Students with Sukhbir” organized by the Students Organization of India (SOI) along with Ludhiana West party candidate Parupkar Singh Ghumman, the SAD president said electing the right person to the chair of chief minister made the difference between taking the State forward or remaining mired in mediocrity or even being pushed back by decades as has occurred during the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) tenure. “Just like a company is doomed if it has a poor managing director, similarly a State cannot progress without a visionary leader. You can get results only if you elect the right person. The progress made in road and air connectivity as well as thermal plants and education and health sectors can be compared with the state of affairs in the AAP adminstration and you will realise why good leadership is important”.
Answering a question on drug trafficking in Punjab and the supposed campaign initiated by the AAP government, Mr Sukhbir Badal said “ Rahul Gandhi started the process of defaming Punjab by asserting that a majority of youth in the State were drug addicts”.
He said the AAP government was not at all serious about wiping out drugs from Punjab. “If it was serious it would have taken action against it’s leaders who are patronising the drug mafia instead of indulging in publicity campaigns”. Asserting that a holistic programme including promoting sports and ensuring job opportunities was needed to tackle this menace, Mr Badal said “I’m commited to eradicating this menace once and for all”.
In reply to another question, Mr Badal said he was commited to encouraging the culture of start ups. “In our previous tenure we started Punjab Invest. Now we will focus on making youth entrepreneurs”. He also urged youth to invest in becoming entrepreneurs instead of selling land and properties to migrate abroad”.
In reply to another question, Mr Badal said the momentum achieved in encouraging sports like Kabaddi and Hockey besides livestock had been lost during both the Congress and AAP tenures. “We will revive this. I promise there will be more jobs for sportspersons once the SAD comes to power”.
Answering a query on how fake popularity and defamation were being done on the social media, Mr Badal said “the youth must take active interest against such elements”.
He said the present government wanted to control the media and even sought to spread defamation on social media by using government resources. “You become our warriors and we will shoo them away”, he asserted.
Speaking about the Ludhiana West election, Mr Badal appealed to the youth to vote for the best candidate in the field. He said Mr Parupkar Ghumman was a thorough professional who had a socialist and secular thought process.
“He is also a leading advocate and has made a mark for himself by taking up social causes. Such a person is most deserving of your support”.